News

The Union of Jurists of Cuba will carry out next October 6 a virtual forum to demand the release of the five Cubans imprisoned in the United States charged with espionage, and who the island considers are heroes of the struggle against terrorism, the local press reported. The space will serve to analyze issues related to the legal framework of the case.

Representatives of the Cuban opposition considered that the island’s government could release more than 60 political prisoners with the condition that they leave the country, in addition to the 52 agreed upon with the Catholic Church and Spain.

Cuba’s national baseball team (2-0) plays Nicaragua (1-1) on Monday night in the Pre World Cup and Pan Ameican Games Qualifying tournament taking place in Puerto Rico. On Sunday the Cubans had an easy time with the weak Argentineans who did manage to avoid a mercy rule loss. The final score was 9-1 with Cuba pounding out 13 hits to 4 of its outclassed rivals.

Cuba’s dailies highlight the victory of Dilma Rousseff in Brazil’s presidential elections with 47 percent of the vote to 33% of her closest opponent Jose Serra. In a surprise good showing Green Party candidate Marina Silva finished third with 19%.

Assuming traditional gender patterns conspire against the health of Cuban men, who are over-represented in almost all the first causes of death in the island, with the exception of diabetes mellitus, a study published in the Revista Cubana de Salud Pública medical journal revealed. In order to meet social expectations of success, “men participate more than women in activities that lead to risks to their health such as drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking, aggressive driving of vehicles, risky sexual behaviours and suicide, in addition to the lack of socialization to express their feelings and mental and physical sufferings,” the study pointed out.

The majority of HIV positive women in the Cuban capital are heterosexual, according to a study carried out by the Revista Cubana de Medicina medical journal, which also registered an increase in the rate of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, which causes AIDS) in that population group between 1998 and 2006. The study revealed that the municipality of Old Havana reports the highest figures, in relation to its character as a tourist area and the existence of a floating population of around 80,000 persons.

Norge Luis Vera went seven innings allowing only one unearned run and Michel Enriquez, Yorbis Borroto, Ariel Pestano and Hector Olivera led the Cuba’s offense in a 9-1 win to open the Pan American/World Cup Qualifying Tournament underway in Puerto Rico.

Archbishop of Havana Jaime Ortega considered this Friday that there is a “positive” turn in the changes taken on by the government of President Raúl Castro to overcome the economic difficulties, although he admitted that some measures lead to worrying elements. “The process…is beginning and we don’t know how it is going to develop. However, I am sure there has been a change in direction in terms of stating Cuba’s economic difficulties and how to overcome them,” which is “in itself positive,” Cardinal Ortega said to a group of journalists.